Before the Dwarves
by JFeg
Summary: Before the Great Dwarven Wars, Hulgar Greatwind and his friends, Galmar Stone-fist, Ulfric Stormcloak, the remaining Blades and his lifelong friend, Waylas Hawker invade the Summerset Isle and attempt to reunite the Empire.
1. The Approach

_ Hulgar Greatwind and Waylas Hawker stood at the gates of the city._

_ "Are you ready, Dragonborn?" Waylas asked his comrade._

_ "Yes friend, I am," was his reply._

_ "Ulfric!" Waylas called. "We are ready!"_

_ "So be it." Ulfric Stormcloak said simply.__ "This is it men! It's time to make this city ours! We come to this moment carried by the sacrifices and courage of our fellows. Those who have fallen. And those still bearing their shields to our right. On this day, our enemy will witness the fullness of our determination, the true depth of our anger and the exalted righteousness of our cause. The gods are watching. The spirits of our ancestors are stirring. And the men under suns yet to dawn will be transformed by what we do here today. Fear neither pain, nor darkness.__For Sovngarde awaits those who die with weapons in their hands, and courage in their hearts. We now fight our way to Castle Dour to cut the head off the legion itself! And in that moment, the gods will look down and see Skyrim as she was meant to be. Full of Nords who are mighty, powerful, and free! Ready now! Everyone, with me! For the sons and daughters of Skyrim!"_

_ "FOR THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF SKYRIM!" roared the army._

_ "Follow them!" bellowed Ulfric, pointing to Hulgar and Waylas._

_ Hulgar was swinging his Daedric great sword, dismembering Imperial Legionnaires left and right. Waylas bashed with his Dragonplate shield and his Dragonbone war axe. The city of Solitude and Skyrim was theirs in less than an hour._

That was five years ago. Now, the Stormcloaks had been absorbed into the Imperial Legion. The Second Great War had started a year to the day after the Siege of Solitude and the Liberation of Skyrim. Crown and Forbear forces had united in Hammerfell, the Free Elsweyr and Valenwood Movements had succeeded in pushing the Aldmeri Dominion out of the two provinces. The Dunmeri resistance and Argonian forces had bound together for the first time since the Ebonheart Pact over two Eras ago.

"Old friend, it is good to see you!" Hulgar said after spotting Waylas across the warship, the _Uriel Septim VII._

"Hail, Hulgar! How fares your family?" Waylas inquired.

"My wife is worried about this. She claims that I will be wounded!" Hulgar responded.

"Ah! At least she still cares! And your kids?"

"Fine. Hroar is training as a mage at the College and Lucia is studying to become a bard," Hulgar said to his old friend

"Listen up men!" Ulfric, the new field commander of the Imperial Legion, yelled. "We have arrived on the shores of the Summerset Isle! We are expecting heavy resistance. These witch-elves deserve no mercy, and I expect you to show them none! Understood?"

"Understood, sir!" the Legion troops cried.

"Now then, so begins the Siege of Firsthold!" Ulfric cried as a roar erupted from the crowd.


	2. The Campaign

_**"FUS RO DAH!"**_

The cry was hear all throughout Firsthold. Ulfric Stormcloak and Hulgar Greatwind shouted down the Great Gates of Firsthold. Civilians cowered and fled. Some were grabbed by Thalmor soldiers to fight the battle. The siege lasted for 13 days, with almost all Thalmor soldiers killed, with some being captured.

"Great job, Hulgar!" Galmar Stone-Fist bellowed after the Great Hall was captured and the ambassador, Ondolemar was interrogated and tortured.

"It was nothing, really. Waylas did most of the work, anyway," said Hulgar.

"Ha, Hulgar, you are being modest!" was Waylas' response.

"Now, then. We still have work to do," Ulfric interrupted.

Skywatch fell next. That battle lasted 19 days. Then, the Emperor, Attrebus Mede III, ordered an invasion of the main Isle. Then, Shimmerene fell after 7 days of battle. Dusk was next, after 9 days.

Cloudrest was next. The Emperor himself was present. A single arrow pierced the Emperor's helmet, but he held on throughout the battle. His son, Uriel Mede I, was present, as well, and he was crowned Emperor after his father's death 5 days after the battle, which lasted 23 days.

"A sad day for the Empire, indeed," Ulfric mused. "The most courageous Emperor since Martin Septim himself."

Lillandril was next, after 17 days of battle; the city was in a burning ruin.

"Ah ha! We are in a position to attack Alinor by sea now!" Waylas exclaimed after the battle.

Hulgar emerged from the ruins three days later, holding the head of General Naarifin II, commander of the Thalmor in the field.

The next battle, and the last before Alinor, was Sunhold. The fighting was especially intense, as this was the Dominion's last line before Alinor. The fighting lasted throughout Sun's Height all through Heartfire.

"Two and a half months. Almost half of our men obliterated. The Thalmor's last line of defense crushed. This is a great and tragic day, indeed," Ulfric mused after the keep was taken.

"Fear not, Ulfric! Reinforcements are on the way from Anvil!" Galmar said, attempting to cheer his companion up, though he looked grim as well.

"We are poised at a strategic position to attack Alinor now," Waylas stated. "Now we have Lillandril and Sunhold, enabling us to attack from land and sea. The city of Alinor will fall soon!"

One month after Sunhold, the Legion moved towards Alinor. The City of Glass, despite its looks, was difficult to penetrate. It took three days of Legionnaires constantly battering the gates with Battering Rams, Armored Trolls from the Dawnguard and summoned Atronachs to begin the siege. What the Legion did not know, however, was that the real fighting was just about to begin.


End file.
